Ignite a Passion for Science: A Curriculum Designed for Future Thinkers
At our school, we believe that science education is more than memorizing formulas and facts. It’s about nurturing a love for discovery, fostering critical thinking, and empowering students to become the responsible stewards of tomorrow.
Our K-8 science curriculum offers a unique blend of classical scientific principles and contemporary themes, equipping your child with the skills to not only understand the world around them but also actively work towards a sustainable future.
Here’s what sets our program apart:
- Foundational Knowledge: We build a strong base in core scientific disciplines like physics, biology, chemistry, and Earth science.
- Addressing Real-World Challenges: We delve into current topics like environmental and agricultural sustainability, harnessing and storing energy, biodegrading and recycling plastics.
- Future-Oriented Learning: Explore cutting-edge advancements in material science, battery technology, synthetic biology, and modern integrated circuits fabrication.
- Hands-on Learning: Labs and engineering challenges bring science to life, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Science Fair: This is a non-competitive and fun event that allows students to gain experience in scientific method, present their findings and foster communication and collaboration skills.
- Developing Future Leaders: Our goal is to ignite a passion for science in each student, empowering them to become critical thinkers, effective communicators, and responsible citizens who can tackle the scientific challenges of the 21st century.
We plan to use the Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding (BFSU) series by Benard J. Nebel, Ph.D. From the publisher’s web site (http://www.pressforlearning.com/):
The BFSU curriculum contains four learning progressions: Nature of Matter; Life Science; Physical Science and Technology; Earth and Space Science. Lessons build in systematic steps and integrate with one another along the way forming a logical, ever-expanding continuum of learning.
Teachers are guided to conduct lessons in a manner that entices students to learn and draw conclusions through their own hands-on experience, observations, thinking, and logical reasoning. The emphasis throughout is on developing an understanding of basic, crosscutting concepts and core ideas fundamental to one or more areas of science.
In addition to reinforcing the comprehension of the science, suggested reading and writing assignments in each lesson will make BFSU highly useful in bringing students to master common-core standards for literacy. Likewise, BFSU aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Users will find BFSU both rigorous and flexible. Early lessons, while understandable by 5-6 year-olds, are important lessons for older students as well and can easily be presented in an age-appropriate manner. Each learning progression should be pursued in order, but switching among the progressions may be done to attune lessons to time of year, special opportunities, or personal interests.
Kindergarten–Grade 2
Nature of Matter |
Life Science |
Physical Science, Engineering and Technology |
Earth and Space Science |
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Organizing Things into Categories Solids, Liquids, and Gases and Change with Temperature Air Is a Substance and the Concept of the Atmosphere Matter I: Its Particulate Nature Distinguishing Materials Magnets and Magnetic Fields Matter II: Air Pressure, Vacuums, and the Earth’s Atmosphere Air: A Mixture of Gases (Mixtures and Chemical Reactions) Matter III: Evaporation and Condensation; The Basis of the Water Cycle Matter IV: Dissolving, Solutions, and Crystallization Rocks, Minerals, Crystals, Dirt, and Soil |
Distinguishing Living or Biological, Natural Earth, and Human-Made Things The Plant and Animal Kingdoms: Distinguishing between Plants and Animals Life Cycles Identification of Living Things and Why Plants and Animals Live Where They Do What Is a Species? Concepts of Adaptations, Food Chains, and Energy Flow Adaptations and Survival How Animals Move I: The Skeleton and Muscle System How Animals Move II: Different Body Designs; Major Animal Phyla How Animals Move III: Coordinating 235 Body Movements; The Nervous System How Animals Move IV: Energy to Run the Body (Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology) Plant Science I: Basic Plant Structure and Reproduction Plant Science II: Germination, Seedling Growth, and Responses Plants, Soil, Water, and Erosion |
Concepts of Energy I: Making Things Go 287 Sound, Vibrations, and Energy Concepts of Energy II: Kinetic and Potential Energy and the Flow of Energy Energy and Force Concepts of Energy III: Distinguishing Between Matter and Energy Inertia Friction Push Pushes Back |
Gravity I: The Earth’s Gravity; Horizontal and Vertical Day and Night and the Earth’s Rotation Reading and Drawing Maps North, East, South, and West Land Forms and Major Biomes of the Earth Time and the Earth’s Turning Seasonal Changes and the Earth’s Orbit Gravity II: Rate of Fall; Weightlessness in Space and Distinction between Mass and Weight Rocks and Fossils |
Grade 3–Grade 5
Nature of Matter |
Life Science |
Physical Science, Engineering and Technology |
Earth and Space Science |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic/Molecular Motion I: Evidence From Brownian Motion and Diffusion
Atomic/Molecular Motion II: Relationship to Temperature Atomic/Molecular Motion III: Heat and Pressure Concepts of Chemistry I: Elements and Compounds Will It Sink or Float? Concept of Density and Its Measurement How Metal Ships Float and Making a Hydrometer Heat, Volume and Density Convection Currents: Observation and Interpretation |
Cells I: Microscopes, Observations of Tissues, and the Cell Theory
Cells II: Cell Growth, Division, and Differentiation Cells III: Integrating Cells and Whole-Body Functions Fungi and Bacteria I: What They Are and Their Role as Decomposers in Nature Fungi and Bacteria II: Decomposers Versus Food Storage and Preservation; Commercial Uses of Fungi and Bacteria Fungi and Bacteria III: Decomposers Versus Disease and Health Microscopic Organisms I: Their Multitude and Diversity Microscopic Organisms II: Single-Celled Organisms; Kingdom Protista The Life of Plants I: Growing Plants for Fun, Food, and Learning The Life of Plants II: How a Plant Grows Its Parts |
How Things Fly
Center of Gravity, Balance, and Wobbling Wheels Movement Energy and Momentum Mechanics I. Levers and Discovery of the Underlying Principle Mechanics II. Inclined Planes, Pulleys, Gears, and Hydraulic Lifts Electricity I: Electric Circuits, Switches, Conductors and Non-Conductors Electricity IA: Static Electricity, Sparks, and Lightning Electricity II: Parallel and Series Circuits, Fuses, Short Circuits, Fuses and Ground Wires Light I: Basics of Light and Seeing |
Cause of Seasonal Changes
The Water Cycle and Its Ramifications Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Movements of Tectonic Plates Mapping the Earth: Latitude and Longitude Climate and Weather I: Wet Tropics and Dry Deserts |
Grade 6–Grade 8
Biology/Earth Science |
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Physics/Space Science |
Chemistry |
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The Life of Plants III: Inside Workings (Basics of Plant Anatomy and Physiology) Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells I: General Concepts Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells II: Principles of Metabolism Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells III: Nutrition Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells IV: Heredity, Genetics, and DNA Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells V: Reproduction Anatomy and Physiology in Relation to Cells VI: How Materials Cross Membranes Viruses: Their Attack and How We Repel Them |
Concepts of Ecosystems I : Basic Structure, Function, and Kinds
Concepts of Ecosystems II: Population Dynamics Darwin’s Observations and Reasoning Climate and Weather II: Why Winds Blow East, West, and in Circles (The Coriolis Effect) Climate and Weather III: Turbulence at 60˚ Latitude and the Unpredictability of Weather Determining Latitude and Longitude Eons of Earth History Pollution—Not a Simple Matter |
Light II. Mirrors and Reflections Light III. Refraction, Eyes, and Optical Instruments The Electromagnetic Spectrum Electricity III: Electric Current and Magnetic Fields: The Basis of Electromagnets, Solenoids, Speakers, Motors, and Generators Electricity IV. Production of Electricity and its Problems Electricity V. The Way it is Measured Gyroscopes—How Do They Do That? Elasticity: Bouncing Balls to Vibrations Distinguishing Force and Energy Deriving the Laws of Energy (Thermodynamics) The Moon and Its Phases, and Tides The Solar System and Beyond |
Concepts of Chemistry II: Atoms: Unveiling Their Nature Concepts of Chemistry III: How Atoms Bond Concepts of Chemistry IV: Hydrogen Bonding and the Consequent Behavior of Water Concepts of Chemistry V: Acids and Bases Concepts of Chemistry VI: Chemical Reactions and Energy Concepts of Chemistry VII: Nuclear Chemistry and Radioactivity Nuclear Energy |